This simple sauce can be enjoyed in the basic form or used as a base for chili con carne, Bolognese (recipes below), my pasta-free lasagne, cottage pie or moussaka. Great to cook large batches as it keeps well in the fridge and freezes well too. You can just pour the sauce over any cooked veggies for a quick, comforting meal.
Ingredients:
500g of mince of choice (beef, turkey, chicken or lamb)
500-800 ml of tomato passata (depending on your preferred consistency)
1 carrot, finely grated
1 stalk of celery, very finely chopped
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 table spoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper to season
Instructions:
In a large pan, heat the oil on medium heat and add vegetables except for garlic. Saute until soft.
Add garilc and cook for 2 minutes.
Add mince, cook for 10 minutes
Add passata, season to taste and cook for 30 minutes on slow heat.
Variations:
To make Bolognese sauce (this is almost it but you can further jazz it up), add 150ml of red wine, 1 bay leaf and a tea spoon of oregano. Cook until alcohol has evaporated.
You can serve it with regular pasta or ‘courgetti’, pictured below, or just over any cooked vegetables. This way you still get to enjoy the ultimate comfort food with less carbs.
To make simple chili con carne, add 1 tea spoon of ground cumin, 1 tea spoon of sweet paprika, 1/2 tea spoon of chili or / and smoked paprika and 1/4 tea spoon of cinnamon. 1 tea spoon of cacao or cocoa really lifts the flavour. You can also add a small tin of red kidney beans.
You can serve it with regular rice but cauliflower ‘rice’ is a nice low carb alternative. You can also have it in baby gem lettuce leaves used as taco shells. Top with fresh veggies like sliced bell pepper and avocado or a dollop of guacamole. Cheese, sour cream or yoghurt, a squeeze of lime juice and fresh coriander are also a nice bonus. PIck what you like the most and keep it simple.
